UK to get UltraViolet's 'digital locker' film and TV service from December 26

Final Destination 5

Here's a new twist on the video-on-demand market: UltraViolet, a consortium backed by Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox, plans to offer consumers a 'digital locker' of films and TV shows they can watch on any device, reports The Guardian.

UltraViolet will allow users the rights to buy a film or show once, and play it anywhere on up to 12 devices. When they buy a DVD or Blu-ray, they'll get a code they can use to download or stream a digital version so they can build up a virtual locker of content.

Warner Brothers will be the first film studio to launch a title on UltraViolet in the UK with the release of Final Destination 5 on December 26th.

UltraViolet's backers – including Tesco, Samsung, Nokia, Sky and LoveFilm – say their system is more open than more restricted ones from the likes of iTunes.

Content can be viewed on just about any device from any manufacturer and up to five family members can be added to an account.

Tesco has already announced it will start offering digital copies of films for free with DVDs bought through its Blinkbox service, which launched this month.

Follow whathifi.com on Twitter

Join whathifi.com on Facebook

Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.